December is badminton wedding month!

No fewer than four former top ten badminton players will tie the knot this December, two of them to each other, while there will be at least two all-badminton weddings in two countries.

Of course, the most talked about nuptials have to be the wedding of former world #1 Saina Nehwal to former world #6 Parupalli Kashyap.  This is the one that involves two still-active badminton stars.  The Times of India says the couple will be having a simple court ceremony on December 14th with only close family in attendance.

Two days later, Korea’s former world #5 Bae Yeon Ju will also tie the knot with her fiancé. Incidentally, Bae actually lost to Nehwal in her very first international tournament, way back in 2006, in a tournament venue just a few kilometres away from her now designated wedding hall.  With an invitation on a public website, Bae and her beau are likely expecting much more than close family.

The earliest wedding this month will see former mixed doubles world #1 Kim Ha Na exchange vows with former national team singles player Rho Ye Wook on December 8th.  Kim formally left the national team in June of this year while Rho, who won the Hwasun International back in 2009, spent only a brief time on the national squad but has been a team-mate of Kim’s at Samsung Electromechanics for quite some time.  These two are featured on the cover of the most recent edition of Badminton Korea magazine, one of Korea’s two monthlies devoted to the sport.

We at Badzine wish all three couples every happiness for the future.

Photos: Badmintonphoto and Don Hearn